Denmark is the happiest country? Not sure about that, but I'd agree

[lectrobyte]

Canada is happier than the US.

http://www.le.ac.uk/pc/aw57/world/sample.html

[Cleita]

1. Interesting that all the social democracies are the happiest.

Could all that national health care and all those social programs that take care of everyone from cradle to grave have anything to do with the well-being and happiness of their citizens?

[ItNerd4life]

4. I'm confused by your statement.

U.S. is 23rd, U.K. is 41st, France is 62nd, Germany 35th, Italy is 50th.

The ratings don't show social democracies as the happiest. Of course, I don't know if I really believe the measurements they use.

[Cleita]

7. I just ran my mouse over the Scandanavian countries that

are all social democracies. I don't believe France, Germany and Italy are as socially structured as Scandanavia. They have some social programs like universal health care but are not as comprehensively socialistic as their northern neighbors.

Scandanavians pay really high taxes to afford all the social programs, but yet they are able to maintain a higher standard of living because they don't have worry about out of the pocket expenses for basic needs like we do.

[Ravenseye]

2. Happy....but apathetic?

I had a talk with a Danish guy about how people there were just so apathetic in general. They didn't have to struggle to survive, and many people would just...do nothing, or what they did they wouldn't do it that hard...

Hence, supposedly, really low productivity numbers and economic growth.

No stats or links to back this up, just something I heard.

All I konw is that I'd be happier with decent health care that didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

[LSK]

3. but working at Walmart for $5 motivates people???

That is our fastest growing job you know!

[Selatius]

6. In frank truth, Europeans have a radically different view towards work

We're workaholics. We work more than even the Japanese for some of the lowest pay in the industrialized world.

The Europeans have stronger safety nets in place to prevent that, and their cultural priorities are in different places. Witness, for instance, ciesta time. No way would American business interests want that. They have more time for family and socializing.

[Cleita]

5. I knew a lot of Danes and Swedes when I lived in Los Angeles

and they were all critical of the countries in one way or the other. I think it's just human nature. If we don't have something to complain about we will make it up. One Dane I knew showed me pictures of where she lived in Denmark. It was all very picturesque and I asked her why she was here in smogsville instead of there. She shrugged and said something about not having anything to do there.

My Swedish neighbor though once observed as we were watching a couple of homeless people dumpster diving, that in Sweden you wouldn't be left on the street to fend for yourself if you were down on your luck. In my opinion I wouldn't trade their social systems for ours any day. I wouldn't care how bored I was.